Walk Two Moons
by Honestly
Summary: "Come on! No need to be shy!" Matsumoto cried, yanking firmly on his uniform. "It's nothing I haven't seen before!" Gin/Rangiku, takes place before the Soul Society Arc.
1. The Switch

A/N: This story takes place **before** the Soul Society Arc. Gin and Matsumoto are pretty much the only straight couple I appreciate in Bleach. So here is a story dedicated to them! Sorry if Gin is a little OOC...they're both silly and super fun to write, but one of them has to be serious some of the time, or none of my readers would take me seriously ;_;

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine, sadly.

Warning: Rating may be raised to M later on.

::Walk Two Moons::

* * *

><p>Birds swooped past the windows of the Tenth Division office, landed on the outer railings of the walkway, and flicked their wings at each other in greeting. The sunlight gleamed on their bright feathers, catching the eyes of the rookies who were hurrying past on their various duties. A few stopped to gawk, or coo at the pretty birdies, but they were soon pushed unceremoniously onwards by their anxious classmates. The recent graduates of the Academy had just been assigned to their respective Divisions a few days earlier, and the apprehension on their faces was easy to read.<p>

Matsumoto Rangiku looked on, sleepily propping her head up on one elbow at the open windowsill of the Tenth Division office. With her auburn hair tumbled around her, her light lavender eyes gazing distantly at the sky, and her full lips pursed in thought, she looked as if she was contemplating the deep mysteries of the universe. She was, in fact, wondering what she could do now that she had taken her afternoon nap. _Sake?_ She rummaged distractedly under the couch she was perched on, before her searching fingertips bumped into glass. The bottle fell over before she could grasp it, and she didn't bother picking it up. She could tell by the hollow _clink_ that had sounded that the bottle was empty. Matsumoto heaved a sigh and turned back to the window, pointedly ignoring the paperwork that sat heaped on her desk. _What to do? _She gazed out the window, then perked up as she saw a familiar face. Heaving herself half out of the window, she called, "Yuki-kun!"

The young man quickly changed directions and trotted towards her, a pleased blush forming across his cheeks. He was a fresh-faced, friendly youth, and one of the Tenth Division's new rookies. "Matsumoto-san," he said when he reached her, bowing deeply, and then blushed a fiery red as he found himself face-to-face with her impressive bosom. He quickly straightened, and stammered, "I-is there anything I can do for you?"

Oblivious to his embarrassment, she leaned in closer to him and whispered conspiratorially, "I need a favor, Yuki-kun." Yuki's friends, who had stopped walking when he had, watched him in goggle-eyed jealousy.

Yuki nearly swooned. "Anything you want, Matsumoto-san!"

She fixed him with her sultry lavender gaze. "I was just," she licked her lips, "_doing_…my, my paperwork, when…I realized that I had," her voice dropped to a whisper that he had to lean in to hear, "_run out of sake._" She twisted a strand of her hair around her slender fingers, and gave him another sidelong look. "If you could find a way to resolve my…problem, I would be _most_ grateful."

The poor rookie was beet-red by the time she finished and looked quite besotted. "I will find you more sake right away, Matsumoto-san!" He declared proudly. "Just count on me!"

He then shunpo-ed away with great determination, as the rest of his fellows chased him, yelling, "What did she say? _What did she say?_"

Matsumoto watched them go, smiling to herself. _What spirited young men_, she thought absently. _We'll make fine shinigami out of them yet. _

Also, sake delivery in ten minutes.

"Now, now, Rangiku-chan, isn't it a bit early to be bullyin' rookies already?" A long shadow detached itself from the wall next to her window. Turning her head, she caught a glimpse of purple hair and a fox-like smirk, before he moved away into the shade.

"Come out where I can see you, Gin," she called, pouting a little as she craned her neck to look for him in the shadows.

He stepped into the sunlight, his tall, lithe form moving as gracefully as a feline. She thought she glimpsed the icy-blue of his eyes for a moment, watching her, but by the time her eyes had adjusted to the sun again his face was back in the familiar lines of his disarmingly cheerful smile. "How many rookies were assigned to your division?" She asked, leaning back to look up at him through the window, still perched on the couch.

He leaned against the railing. "We have nine rookies. A decent number, but each generation of graduates seem to be gettin' dumber, if I do say so myself."

"Oh, don't be so hard on them, Gin." Matsumoto protested. "They make up for it in energy. And they do try so hard. I find it rather cute."

His expression didn't change. "Tryin' to do something doesn't mean anythin' if the result is still a failure." He said mildly.

Matsumoto propped her chin up on the windowsill again and mock-glared at him. "I think you'll find, as with most women, it's the thought that counts." She informed him pompously. "Persistence or whole-hearted pursuit of an admirable goal is always viewed favorably by women."

"Whole-hearted pursuit of an admirable goal, indeed," Gin said dryly as Yuki came dashing back, puffing in exertion and sake bottles in hand. He smiled at her, and left, waving a hand in farewell.

Matsumoto watched him go a little morosely, oblivious to Yuki's enthusiastic chattering as he handed her his prize. Maybe it was her fault, but Gin had seemed distant as of late. Not just distant, but… troubled? He wore that bland, smiling mask all the time now, even in front of her, and sometimes, when his eyes were open, she caught a glimpse of a secret desperation that chilled her to the bone. Other times, he would sit with her for hours and not say a word. Apart from occasionally polite exchanges, they had barely had a decent talk in months. How had they drifted so far apart, when they had been so close in the past? She knew almost nothing about him anymore, and this made her sad. She vowed to try harder. She and Gin _would_ become close again, and she would find out what was eating him.

* * *

><p>Matsumoto strolled along the outdoor walkway, muttering to herself. So what if she had spilled a little sake over the paperwork? There was no need for Taichou to throw such a fit. It was only a <em>little<em> bit of sake. And how was she to know that wet paper ripped so easily? As it was, she was staying out of the office for a while. To let him calm down, of course. Not because she was avoiding her paperwork. Or because she was looking for something better to do. No, definitely not.

She brightened a little when she spotted her purple-haired friend walking towards her. "Good morning, Rangiku-chan." He called cheerfully, falling in step beside her. "What did you do to Hitsugaya? When I ran into him earlier he looked fit to burst."

"I did _nothing_," she complained, slumping a little. "But now taichou is making me pick up extra copies of all paperwork from the past two days, even the ones that weren't damaged. He's so unfair! He said that he didn't want to take any chances."

"How dreadfully mean," agreed Gin, with his easy smile. "I'll walk with you for part of the way. I have some errands to run."

As they walked down towards the other side of the building, Matsumoto, remembering her thoughts from the previous day, snuck a sidelong look at Gin. She wondered if she should make small talk first, then decided against it. With her childhood friend, the direct approach always worked best. If Gin noticed that she was building herself up for a serious question, she'd never get a straight reply from him. "Has something in particular been bothering you?" She asked him abruptly. "Stress from being a captain, insomnia, impotence, anything like that?"

If Gin's eyes had been open, he would've blinked. "May I ask why you are so certain there is something troubling me?"

Matsumoto frowned distractedly, thinking. "It's not just that you've been quiet. You've been absent a lot. And when I do see you…even when you're here, you're not here. Something's wrong, Gin." Gin stopped walking abruptly, and she stopped too, surprised.

Gin didn't say anything for a long while. "Oh come on, you can tell me, Gin!" She said finally, exasperated at his silence. "I've known you forever."

He started walking again. "It's nothing."

Matsumoto's eyes widened in sudden realization. "You're in debt!" She cried, poking her finger into his chest. Seeing no change in his expression, she tried again. "You've gotten someone pregnant?"

Gin grimaced a little at her. "No."

"Come on, you can tell me, Maru-chan," she said, ignoring the way Gin twitched at the old nickname. "Is it a girl? Are you heartbroken?"

Suddenly he whirled on her, and she stopped, frozen in the icy glare of his eyes. "I said it's nothing!" He said, a little sharply. He turned away, and would've walked past her, but she put a hand on his sleeve. He looked into her serious lavender eyes, and softened a little. "It's not a game, Matsumoto."

"And I'm not joking." She said simply. "You can always come to me for anything, Gin." It went beyond pride, beyond simple friendship. The most important thing she could do for him now was show him that she cared, or she would lose him.

Gin looked down at her, _really_ looked at her, ice-blue staring into warm violet. For a second, neither of them moved. Then abruptly Gin shook her hand off his arm, the same indifferent smile back on his face. "Really, Matsumoto, you –"

Matsumoto could almost see him retreating back into himself. "Gin, don't –"

They were both interrupted by a deafening explosion that rocked the walkway they were standing on. Matsumoto coughed as dust rained down on her head, but her hand was on her zanpakuto, and she could see Gin doing the same.

"Imbecile!" The shriek split the air in half, and Gin and Matsumoto glanced at each other, startled. It was Kurotsuchi-taichou's voice. "Imbecile!" His voice was muffled by the thick door that separated his office from the outside walkway. "I ask for some competent, intelligent assistants, and what I get are two brainless apes! Stupid, and clumsy to boot! DON'T TOUCH THAT!"

Without warning, the wall that the two shinigami were standing next to exploded outwards, showering them with rubble. Matsumoto barely had time to register the explosion before she was yanked into Gin's arms, pressed up against his hard chest as he turned himself so he could shield her from the worst of the damage.

Choking on the dust, her eyes watering, she grasped his arms for support and turned to stare at the gaping hole into Kurotsuchi-taichou's laboratory. Through the haze, she could see a terrified rookie cowering under one of the tables, and another one groaning on the floor, presumably blasted there by the force of the explosion. The mad scientist himself was nowhere in sight.

Nemu, however, was draped on the wreckage of the wall, half inside the office, half outside. Her head drooped at an odd angle onto the walkway, her arms flung carelessly around her, and her eyes were closed. "Nemu-chan!" Matsumoto disentangled herself from Gin's arms and ran to her, dropping to her knees by her side. "Are you badly hurt?" She gently eased the girl's head onto her lap and slid her fingers under her chin to feel for a pulse.

"I'm sure she's jus' malfunctioned, is all," Gin informed her hoarsely, coughing as he surveyed the ruin of Mayuri's laboratory.

"You could show a little compassion." Matsumoto returned, a little petulantly, as she leaned over to pull Nemu onto the walkway so she could lie more comfortably. "I'm always telling you –"

"_Rangiku!"_ Gin's voice was sharp with fear, and she looked up just in time to be enveloped by a bitter-smelling, yellowish fog. Too late, she tried to hold her breath, only to choke on the dense fog. _It kind of tastes like raisins_, she thought in alarm, and then heard footsteps approaching her through the haze.

"No, Gin! Stay away!" She cried, cursing herself for dragging him into this. "Stay where you are!" It was hard to breathe through the fog, and she could feel blackness eating at the edges of her vision. A strong hand clamped down on her arm, tried to drag her away, but she could feel her limbs turning rubbery and a kind of listlessness overtaking her that had nothing to do with her lack of oxygen. _The fog!_ Who knew what kind of chemicals and poisons she was inhaling? With her last bit of strength, she tried to shove Gin away to safety, but he didn't loosen his grip and after a few moments, she felt him slumping down beside her.

The feeling of his warm hand in hers was the last thing she remembered before slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>Matsumoto came to, slowly. Her eyes felt so dry she had trouble opening them, but the smooth wood beneath her head and scent of dust in the air told her that she was still lying on the walkway. How much time had passed?<p>

Her body felt curiously light, and out of habit, her hands immediately went to her chest to make sure nothing had fallen out during the commotion. Only…_there was nothing there._ She sat up so fast her head started spinning, groping at the empty space in front of her chest with increasing alarm.

_Her boobs were gone._

Her long, anguished shriek echoed throughout Soul Society and brought every able-bodied shinigami within a five-mile radius running to see who was being murdered.

* * *

><p>Gin woke with a sharp pain in his head and a heavy weight on his chest. Groaning, he tried to push the weight off of him so he could sit up, only to end up with a handful of cleavage. <em>What? <em>He groped at his chest in astonishment. _He had breasts! Heavy breasts!_

_ And his penis was gone. HE COULD FEEL IT._

He sat up, opening his eyes in bewilderment, and found himself staring into an impressive cleavage. _His _cleavage, to be exact. He scratched his head. What was going on?

Then he noticed the necklace that hung from his neck, disappearing between his massive boobs. He'd know that necklace anywhere. With a sinking feeling, he raised his head and found himself looking into a pair of familiar icy-blue eyes that looked just as horrified as he felt.

Somehow, he and Rangiku had switched bodies.

* * *

><p><strong>Given that this takes place before Ichigo comes to Soul Society, I think many of you might be able to guess exactly what is troubling Gin.<strong>

**Please let me know what you think! :)**


	2. Mayhem

A/N: Sorry for the late update! Life happens (sigh). Once again, this story takes place **before** the invasion of Soul Society. The entire story will be told in Matsumoto's POV, to avoid any confusion about who is talking from what body.

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine, sadly.

Warning: Rating may be raised to M later on.

* * *

><p>::Walk Two Moons::<p>

Matsumoto took a few gulps of air, hands clutching her uniform, fighting panic. When she looked up, she saw that Gin had already rolled onto his side and was staring off into the depths of the ruined laboratory, seemingly unfazed by their situation. It took her another moment to realize that although he was facing the laboratory, he was looking at her.

When their eyes met, he looked away again and resumed staring into the debris, one slender arm supporting his weight, and the other resting casually across his supple waist, tucked tightly under his new bosom. Was he really not going to _say anything?_ It looked as if he was waiting for her to calm down before he spoke, but if anything, she was getting more wound up by the second.

There was a moment of silence. Then –

"My boobies!" Matsumoto cried hysterically, clutching her flat chest and remembering the matter at hand. Lurching into a sitting position, she watched Gin do a rare double-take. His eyes, widened in shock, shifted from her, to the wall, and back again, like a little boy caught in an uncomfortable situation. "Give them back!"

"Rangiku-chan, these would look rather strange on _my_ body," Gin replied, pushing himself up, one arm cupped protectively around his new assets.

Undeterred, Matsumoto crawled towards him on her hands and knees. "At least let me check to see if they're okay!" She pleaded, seizing his kimono. Gin yelped and caught her wrist as she tried to thrust her hand down the front of his uniform.

"Rangiku!" He spluttered, "what are you doing?"

"Don't be stingy," she cried, trying to maneuver her other hand towards her treasures. "They're mine, anyway!" Was Gin _blushing_?

A sudden crash made them both turn, startled. "Who's causing this detestable racket?" Mayuri emerged from the depths of his ruined laboratory, scowling. His eyes widened at the sight of Ichimaru Gin, uncharacteristically hysterical and tugging determinedly on Matsumoto Rangiku's cleavage. "What on earth is going on here?"

Matsumoto let go of Gin's assets with a final yank and turned to the captain, reluctantly opening her mouth to speak. Strange as the situation was, vice-captains were required by protocol to answer to all captains, regardless of their division. "Kurotsuchi-taichou," she began.

"Well?" The mad scientist demanded again, tapping his foot impatiently.

Matsumoto felt two cool fingers sliding quietly over her hand, and hesitated. When she peered at Gin out of the corner of her eye, he shook his head very slightly, auburn waves falling over his face as he did. Suddenly wary of the mad glint in Mayuri's eye, she checked herself. _He likes using human subjects_, a tiny voice whispered in her ear. If he found out they had been adversely affected by his chemicals, there was no way he'd hand them over to the Fourth to be checked out. He'd keep them in his lab and experiment on them until he found out exactly which of his chemicals did what to them. In the same instant, she realized that she was now in Gin's body, and Gin was a captain.

"Kurotsuchi-taichou ," she repeated, trying to think. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

The scientist raised a mocking eyebrow. "Oh? How convenient. Actually, I believe that I am just fine where I am, overseeing the repairs of _my ruined laboratory_." He spat the last three words as though they were poison.

"You have a hair appointment at five," Matsumoto said, somewhat lamely.

Gin pinched her.

The scientist remained where he was, staring at them suspiciously. "You don't sound like yourself, _Ichimaru-taichou_," he finally said, flatly. "Have you misplaced your personality, perhaps?" It was widely known throughout Soul Society that Mayuri loathed Gin because Gin often made snide remarks about him and didn't seem to take Mayuri and his research seriously. Gin actually didn't take anyone seriously, but Mayuri took it as a personal affront.

"Smile at him," Gin whispered.

Matsumoto gave Mayuri her best attempt at Gin's trademark leer, but the scientist was unswayed.

"Did the two of you sustain any injuries during the explosion?" He asked, peering at the two of them suspiciously. "Or come into contact with any of my chemicals?" A deranged look slowly came over his face. "Because if you have, you must inform me immediately. Extensive testing will have to be conducted in order to rectify any symptoms you might be experiencing, as well as to evaluate the nature of some of my more unstable chemicals…" He grew more visibly excited at each prospect.

"No!" Matsumoto exclaimed forcefully, genuinely frightened. "We are completely normal. Just look at us!" She and Gin turned to look at each other as Mayuri stared at them. She was still clutching the front of Gin's uniform in both of her fists, the two of them sitting on the ground of the walkway amidst strewn rubble from the explosion. "Completely normal…" She repeated weakly.

Mayuri stared.

"I don't talk like that," Gin whispered to her, looking amused.

_Shut up!_ She mouthed at him, making a face. She wracked her brain frantically for something to say, before Gin's half-lidded eyes gave her an idea.

"Don't you know how to read the atmosphere, Kurotsuchi-taichou?" She slid her hands down to Gin's waist as she tried to imitate his lazy drawl. Gin covered one over her hands with his good-humoredly, although he didn't seem to know where she was going with this. "Rangiku and I are havin' some…private time, as you can see. Kindly leave us alone?" If there was one thing which disgusted Mayuri more than anything else, it was the idea of love and people having positive relationships with each other.

She snuck a peek at the captain, who was still standing over them, looking unconvinced. Swallowing an internal sigh, she raised one of her hands, threaded her fingers through Gin's long hair and pulled him in for a quick kiss. When she pulled away, secretly gratified that her lips (well, they technically belonged to Gin for now) were nice and soft, her friend looked so thunderstruck she had to choke down a giggle. She had been slightly worried about whether Gin would play along, but he just licked his lips unconsciously and stared at her. Unable to resist herself, she kissed him again. Just for the hell of it.

A strangled sound erupted above them and reminded Matsumoto of another presence. She winked up at Mayuri. "Care to see more?"

"Disgusting," the scientist snapped, before turning on his heel and stalking back into the ruins of his laboratory. "Don't think this is over, _Ichimaru_," he called nastily over his shoulder before he disappeared into the darkness.

Gin was staring at her, an odd look on his face. "I had no idea you kissed people so easily, Rangiku-chan," he remarked finally, his face inscrutable.

She turned to him. "Don't be so cold, Maru-chan! Was I a good kisser?"

Gin gazed at the sky. "I have no idea. I was too busy admiring the disgusted look on Kurotsuchi-taichou's face to notice."

Matsumoto giggled. "Come on, don't be stingy! You have to admit it was a good idea." She tapped her lips pensively with a finger as another thought suddenly occurred to her. "Maru-chan, was that the first time I've kissed you?"

He glanced at her quickly before his eyes drooped half-shut again. "That doesn't count."

She pouted a little.

* * *

><p>They came to an agreement. To avoid discovery by Mayuri, they would keep the switch a secret.<p>

"We should first try to find a solution ourselves," Gin advised as they hurried back to the division offices. He caught her arm as she tried to head into the Tenth Division office. "Not here – you're a little further down. If we can't find a solution within three weeks, _then_ we consult the Fourth and brace ourselves for the consequences. Sounds good?"

"Sounds good," she agreed, and tried to kiss him again.

He ducked her. "Are you that in love with yourself?"

"I never knew my lips were so soft," she mused. "Also, Maru-chan, you make a funny face when I do it." Why hadn't she thought of kissing Gin earlier? It would be funnier to see the funny grimace on Gin's own normally unreadable features, rather than her own.

And even though when she looked, she saw her own face, the knowledge that it was Gin made her feel all warm and bubbly when she kissed him. She couldn't seem to stop herself.

Gin gave her a gentle swat on the head. "Run along," he chided. "Remember ta meet me in the training courtyard after lunch. We'll talk more later."

* * *

><p>Chapter Three Preview:<p>

"No need to be shy!" Matsumoto cried, yanking firmly on his uniform. "It's nothing I haven't seen before!"

* * *

><p><strong>I know this is a short update, but hope you guys enjoyed it! Body-switching is hard to write, so please let me know if there are any confusing parts that I need to improve on! I will try my best :) <strong>


	3. The Match

A/N: I'm rather pleased with how this story is coming along! I'm hoping I can finish this story before I lose interest, as has happened with a number of previous projects…Not to worry, though! It's only because I have too many ideas bouncing around inside my head to focus :)

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine, sadly.

Warning: Rating may be raised to M later on.

::Walk Two Moons: Chapter Three::

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><p><strong>In the offices of the Third Division:<strong>

"Here's the compiled report from last week's Hollow incident, Ichimaru-taichou," Kira said, respectfully handing over his neatly stacked paperwork. His hair was combed back tidily and his solemn behavior impeccably polite as he delivered the verbal updates of the Third Division's status and scheduled events.

Matsumo propped her chin in her hand and regarded him with amusement. The last time she'd seen Kira, he had been hopping around a pub with his arm around Renji, roaring drunk and shamelessly bellowing, "I've got itty-bitty nips!"

Kira continued his speech, blissfully oblivious to her scrutiny. "Here are the papers that need your review, taichou. Could you sign them? I have to step out for a minute to go over the details of our mock battle last week with one of our squad members."

"Of course, Kira-kun!" Matsumoto said brightly, noting the way Kira's face flushed with pleasure at her encouraging words. _How unexpected,_ she mused to herself as Kira left. _Maru-chan seems to command quite a bit of respect and deference from his subordinates. Though you'd never guess it from the way he acts. _

Idly sorting through Gin's drawer for a brush, her fingers unexpectedly touched paper. Why was there paper in Gin's brush drawer? How odd. She drew it out.

It was just a small, unremarkable piece of white paper. Written on the paper in tiny, flowing script, however, was a message: _Meet me in the old pavilion behind the West Gate tomorrow night_.

Matsumoto's eyes lit up. The paper was unsigned, but had been torn off a memo stamped with today's date. Gin must have received it earlier this morning. How cryptic! She peered more closely at the neat lettering. Could it have been written by a girl? Pursing her lips in slight annoyance at the thought, she tucked the paper into one of her sleeves and vowed to investigate further. Tomorrow night, was it? She licked her lips devilishly. She would be there!

Gin didn't drink, but she knew where Kira kept his sake stash (having spent many afternoons with him furtively drinking the boredom of their office duties away while their captains were preoccupied). Kira walked back into the office just as she was pouring the sake into two cups. "Ichimaru-taichou…?"

"Come on, come on!" She said cheerfully, beckoning him forward. "It's much too boring to do work in the middle of the day."

Kira's eyes widened to the size of saucers and he stared uneasily at the sake cup on her desk, shifting from foot to foot. "If you insist, Ichimaru-taichou," he said awkwardly.

Matsumoto pouted. How was she supposed to have fun with this sort of atmosphere?

To her dismay, the vice-captain was slowly inching towards the door, certain that he was about to fall victim to one of the captain's infamous (and painful) pranks. "Ah, I must have forgotten a prior appointment," he cried unconvincingly. "I must take my leave!"

"Kira-kun," she began, but before she could say another word Kira had sprinted out of her office. Matsumoto stared after him indignantly. She wasn't _that_ frightful, was she? Creepy as he might seem, as far as she knew, Gin did not normally have this sort of effect on people. What was she doing wrong?

She slumped forward, resting her head on her desk. Although she knew Kira very well and thought she understood Gin quite a bit, she now realized that she had no idea how Gin behaved towards his vice captain, or what their relationship was.

She considered herself Gin's best friend and didn't believe that there was anyone in the world who knew him better, but she had no idea what his relationships with other people were like and she couldn't even make it through one day acting as Gin. It depressed her.

She wondered if Gin was having as much trouble as she was.

* * *

><p><strong>In the offices of the Tenth Division:<strong>

"GYAHHHHHHHHH!"

Hitsugaya squirmed indignantly as an impressive pair of bosoms descended on his head. "MATSUMOTO!"

"Good mornin', Hitsugaya-taichou!" Gin chirped, squishing the little captain under his new equipment.

Hitsugaya struggled free, trying to maintain a semblance of dignity. "Matsumoto! Where are the papers I sent you to get!?"

Gin just looked at him and re-adjusted his chest. "What papers, taichou?" He asked brightly, bending over provocatively and resting his elbows on the desk.

Hitsugaya spluttered and muttered and turned an astonishing shade of red. "Never mind!" he cried, springing down from his desk. "I'll get them. Matsumoto, stay here and finish your paperwork!"

As the white-haired captain left in a huff, Gin fished around under Matsumoto's desk and poured himself two cups of sake. Then, he took a nap.

* * *

><p>The original agreement had been to meet in the training courts after lunch, but the explosion in Mayuri's laboratory had set several of the division's file cabinets on fire and the backup in paperwork kept both of them busy until just before dusk. They met in front of the training yards just as the sun vanished beyond the horizon and the sky darkened to the barest shades of violet.<p>

Matsumoto watched with reluctant admiration as Gin sauntered toward her. He had her trademark walk down to the tiniest swing in her hips when she walked. "How did you learn how to move like that?"

He winked at her. "Like what?" He stopped and watched her critically as she came towards him. "Rangiku-chan, you don't walk like me at all."

"I'm used to having to counterbalance the weight of my babies," Matsumoto said, a little wistfully. "Now that I don't have them, every movement feels awkward."

Gin rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, if we're goin' ta pull this off for a few weeks, you'll have ta learn to move the way I do. How 'bout we spar, for a bit?"

There was a moment of silence as Matsumoto looked longingly at Haineko, strapped to Gin's back, while Gin stared at Shinsou.

"Can we even call our zanpaktous out while we're in the wrong bodies?"

"No way to find out 'less we try." Gin nodded down at the sword strapped to her hip. "How 'bout callin' Shinsou out ta play?"

She closed her eyes and, wrapping her fingers around the hilt, tried to call for the zanpaktou the same way she always called out to Haineko. After a few seconds, sweat was trickling down her face. What she was feeling from the sword wasn't just a sense of silence – there when she tried reaching for the zanpaktou, she felt a sensation of numbness. Even in Gin's body, the sword itself seemed to be resisting her.

"Not good, huh?" Gin remarked, watching her face. He held out his hand. "Lemme try." His fingers closed gently over hers for a minute before he lifted the sword from her grasp.

He held it in silence for a moment, then turned it thoughtfully over in his fingers. "Can't feel nothin'." He flicked his wrist, and Shinsou landed point down in the dirt beside them. Their eyes met. "This is serious, Rangiku-chan. If we can' use our Shikai, we can' even fight."

Silently, Matsumoto reached over and brushed Haineko's hilt. When she felt the same chilling numbness creeping up her fingertips, she pulled away. "Guess we better brush up on our kidou." she mused, a little regretfully. She loved fighting with Haineko.

Gin shrugged. "We can start with footwork and our basic sword steps." Pulling Shinsou from the dirt, he tossed it to her.

At first, her footwork was a little more than unwieldy as they parried blades, drew back, and clashed again.

"Stop favoring your right leg so much," Gin advised, as he blocked her strike. "You know your body, Matsumoto. What are my weaknesses?"

"I'm not going to have those advantages when I'm fighting someone else," she grunted, dodging Haineko as it swept nimbly through the air.

"No, but 'cha need to start learning to look for your opponent's weaknesses. Don't be afraid to use it against them. They shouldn'ta revealed them in the first place." Gin's eyes shone dimly in the darkness.

As she fell into a concentrated rhythm of slashing and parrying, her thoughts ran on relentlessly. _I favor my right leg, because I usually initiate my attacks from the right. My right side is stronger. My left side is-_

She twisted lithely away Gin's sword, adrenaline thrumming through her veins. She closed in on his left side and slashed.

_weak_.

But even in her body, Gin was quicker. Her forceful forward thrust threw her off balance as she found herself facing empty space instead of Gin's supposedly weak left side. A hand came over her shoulder from behind, closing gently around her neck.

"Yield?" Gin murmured, from behind her.

Because of his new assets, however, Gin couldn't stand as close to her as he was used to. Sensing a weak spot, she smashed his arm aside and whirled to face him.

The expression she saw on his face was simultaneously both frightening and beautiful. His eyes were wide and intense, blazing with a sense of passion and determination that took her breath away. The ferocity and yet, the sense of cool-headed, calm control – she could see the essence of the person Gin was. He was a lovely paradox, fire and ice.

Adrenaline thrummed through her blood, and she felt drawn as taut as a bowstring. Gin's leanly muscled body moved easily under her every whim, and she felt strong and deadly, almost lethal, like a sharply honed weapon. With each panting breath she took, she felt an increasing urge to claim. To dominate.

"Rangiku," Gin said, and then she was reaching fiercely for him, twining her fingers in his hair, and claiming his mouth in a searing, fiery kiss. _I'm taller than he is, _she thought irrationally, before their tongues tangled in a way that sent shivers down her spine.

They pulled apart breathlessly, with Gin wiping a smear of lipstick away from Matsumoto's mouth. His smile was languid and a little teasing, and Matsumoto suddenly felt a surprising wave of indignation. _He's only indulging me. _

She almost said to him, 'Take me seriously, damn it!' But of course she didn't. It would've been most uncharacteristic of her. Instead, she just pulled him close again, wrapping her arms tightly around his body, kissing him deeply. His heart beat madly against hers for a moment before he maneuvered his way out of her grasp.

"Shhh…Rangiku," Gin panted, holding her arms gently as he disentangled himself. She ran her tongue briefly over his lower lip, then rested her forehead against his.

"Sorry," Matsumoto said sheepishly, a little breathless. "Got lost in the moment, there." She pulled away a little to look at him. His lips were glistening and his hair was a little tousled, but apart from that he looked as composed as ever. "Aren't you all calm and collected?" She teased, pinching his nose affectionately, if a little shakily. "Maru-chan, it's almost like you don't have weaknesses."

Gin's smile was wry, and a little grim. "Oh, but I do. Those who hide their weaknesses so completely that you can't even find them, they're the ones you have to look out for." She didn't notice that his hands trembled for just a moment as he released her. Bending down a little painfully, he rummaged around in the knapsack he'd brought and fished out a bottle of water before passing it to her.

Patting his shoulder in thanks, Matsumoto took a long, grateful swig before tossing the bottle back to him. "So," she said cheerily, rolling over to face Gin. "My place or yours?"

Gin choked on his water and sprayed it everywhere.

Matsumoto cried out in dismay. "Maru-chan, stop that at once! That's unlady-like!"

Gin wiped the water off his face with his sleeve. "I _beg_ your pardon?" He said hoarsely.

Matsumoto propped her chin up in her hand, picking at blades of grass. "Should I stay at my place tonight, or yours? Not that I know where your place is, but if I go back looking like this, my neighbors might start gossiping."

Gin regarded her a little suspiciously. "You can stay at my place tonight," he said finally. "Do you have a spare uniform I can borrow?"

"I keep one in my lockers," she replied indifferently. "I'll give it to you tomorrow. We'll have to come a little earlier, though."

Gin shrugged in silent assent.

"Also," Matsumoto declared, pushing herself up. "I'm not leaving you alone with my body. You probably don't even know how to wash it right."

Gin twitched a little at the suggestion. "I'm not showerin' tonight."

"You most definitely are!" Matsumoto cried in outrage. "You're all sweaty from our sparring match. I'm not going to let you walk around unwashed. Women need to be clean. Think of my reputation! Here, I'll even teach you how to wash my body."

"I'm not showerin' tonight, and I am most definitely not showerin' with you!" Gin pulled away. Was it getting dark, or could she spot the faintest tinge of red on his cheeks?

"Come on! No need to be shy!" Matsumoto cried, yanking firmly on his uniform. "It's nothing I haven't seen before!"

"It's nothin' _I've_ seen before." Gin informed her, trying to disentangle her grasp. "And I don't intend to start lookin' now."

"Well, what do you expect _me_ to do?" Matsumoto huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm certainly not going to shower blindfolded."

Gin shrugged carelessly, wincing slightly as he raised his sore body to his feet. "You can look at my body. I don't mind."

"What!" She crossed her arms. "How come I can look at your body, but you can't look at mine? This makes no sense!" Gin was already walking out of the courtyard, waving a lazy hand at her. "Maru-chan! Wait for me!"

In the offices of the Thirteenth Divison, Ukitake was momentarily distracted from his paperwork by raised voices in the courtyard. He frowned for a minute, and then – hearing the contents of their conversation – blushed and smiled beatifically. "Lover's quarrel," he said mildly to himself, before bending back to his paperwork.

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><p>Chapter Four Preview:<p>

"Gin, if you don't let me strip you right now, I'm going to walk through Soul Society naked tomorrow!"

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><p><strong>Sorry if Gin's speaking style seems inconsistent - I'm having trouble nailing down his accent, but as always, he's fun to write. Please review, if you liked it! They are truly the best motivator for a struggling writer. And as always, please let me know what you liked or where I can improve! <strong>


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